On 16/02/2011 14:00, Arny Krueger wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message
In article
, Arny
Krueger wrote:
However, Ampex audio recorders were never popular in the
UK - and I'd guess the same applied to EMI in the US.

IME the only EU tape recorder brand to get any serious
market penetration in US was Studer/Revox. The Revox
machines were relatively light duty boxes by the
standards we're talking, which is not to say that they
lacked durability as they were typically used.

Studer pretty well took over the pro market here too - as
others dropped out. Revox were just about the only
machine for high end domestic or semi pro use - as again
others dropped out of the scene.

When I was in Germany in 1970, a Revox rep said that they were running (a
little scared) from the Japanese. They did a really good job of that for at
least 10 years.

As teenagers we dreamed of the Revox A77
but the best any of my friends could afford was an Akai 4000DS

--
Eiron.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...

As teenagers we dreamed of the Revox A77
but the best any of my friends could afford was an Akai 4000DS

I dreamed of a Ferrograph or better still a Vortexion CBL 6.
The dream came true:-)

http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Pics/VortexionCBL6.jpg


Then (much later) I dreamed about a Leevers Rich E200
This dream came true also.

http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Pics/LeeversRich02.jpg


I still have both machines.


Iain

In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
"Eiron" wrote in message
...

As teenagers we dreamed of the Revox A77
but the best any of my friends could afford was an Akai 4000DS

I dreamed of a Ferrograph or better still a Vortexion CBL 6.
The dream came true:-)

http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Pics/VortexionCBL6.jpg

Good workhorses though they might have been in their day, Revox was in a
different league.

Not then surprising it still exists while the others long since gone.

--
*Real men don't waste their hormones growing hair

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
"Eiron" wrote in message
...

As teenagers we dreamed of the Revox A77
but the best any of my friends could afford was an Akai 4000DS

I dreamed of a Ferrograph or better still a Vortexion CBL 6.
The dream came true:-)

http://www.mosabackabigband.com/Pics/VortexionCBL6.jpg

Good workhorses though they might have been in their day, Revox was in a
different league.

The Revox A77 was not available then. The G36 was the
current model. The Vortexion was a more durable machine
with a better performance and ease of maintenance (modular
amps), though nechanically a bit clunky and less refined.

Mine is on its 2nd second head block but is still only
-1dB (replay) and -2dB (overall) at 18kHz. An A77 had
to be constantly tweaked to maintain this level of performance.

But it's all a matter of taste. I did not want a machine that would
look nice in the living room, I needed a tough reliable machine
to go from gig to gig, and stand the rigours that are involved.
Hence my choice of Vortexion recorder and Vortexion mixer
back in those days.

Not then surprising it still exists while the others long since gone.

????

I seem to remember that Revox closed circa 1997
when production of the B77/III ceased. The name
was bought by a venture capital company.

There is, I think some kind of multi room AV system currently
made which carries the Revox badge.

There are countless firms offering spares and service, but none
that I know of offering new product.

Iain

In article ,
Iain Churches wrote:
Good workhorses though they might have been in their day, Revox was in a
different league.

The Revox A77 was not available then. The G36 was the
current model. The Vortexion was a more durable machine
with a better performance and ease of maintenance (modular
amps), though nechanically a bit clunky and less refined.

You're certainly right about the last bit. Horrible machines to operate.
Using a deck near enough unchanged from the early '50s.

Mine is on its 2nd second head block but is still only
-1dB (replay) and -2dB (overall) at 18kHz. An A77 had
to be constantly tweaked to maintain this level of performance.

Strange. I have two A77s - and neither needed 'constant tweaking' to
maintain their high spec when they were heavily used. Perhaps you use poor
tape?

But it's all a matter of taste. I did not want a machine that would
look nice in the living room, I needed a tough reliable machine
to go from gig to gig, and stand the rigours that are involved.
Hence my choice of Vortexion recorder and Vortexion mixer
back in those days.

Oh they certainly were rugged. But nowhere near class leaders in
performance. Sort of semi pro stuff.

Not then surprising it still exists while the others long since gone.

????

I seem to remember that Revox closed circa 1997
when production of the B77/III ceased. The name
was bought by a venture capital company.

And Vortexion? Ferrograph? Ferrograph did attempt a better machine, but it
was never well received.

There is, I think some kind of multi room AV system currently
made which carries the Revox badge.

There are countless firms offering spares and service, but none
that I know of offering new product.

--
*Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message

Strange. I have two A77s - and neither needed 'constant
tweaking' to maintain their high spec when they were
heavily used. Perhaps you use poor tape?

That makes 3 stable A77s including the A77 that I used from 1970 to 1984.
I started out with the machine biased for Scotch 203 and then moved on to
TDK, which formula I have forgotten. EU A77s were delivered biased for Agfa
PE36.

"Iain Churches" wrote in message


Mine is on its 2nd second head block but is still only
-1dB (replay) and -2dB (overall) at 18kHz. An A77 had
to be constantly tweaked to maintain this level of
performance.

Noticed no such thing on my A77 which I used routinely from 1970 to 1984.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Iain Churches" wrote in message


Mine is on its 2nd second head block but is still only
-1dB (replay) and -2dB (overall) at 18kHz. An A77 had
to be constantly tweaked to maintain this level of
performance.

Noticed no such thing on my A77 which I used routinely from 1970 to 1984.


'I was talking to the Revox rep because his tech was tuning up my A77.'

??

:-)

"Keith G" wrote in message


"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Iain Churches" wrote in message


Mine is on its 2nd second head block but is still only
-1dB (replay) and -2dB (overall) at 18kHz. An A77 had
to be constantly tweaked to maintain this level of
performance.

Noticed no such thing on my A77 which I used routinely
from 1970 to 1984.

'I was talking to the Revox rep because his tech was
tuning up my A77.'

??

It was a free offer that I took advantage of shortly after I bought it. I
was using Scotch 203 knowing full well that the machine was sold set up for
Agfa PE36.

FWIW Revox sold rebranded PE36 under their own brand. Scotch 203 is
competitive but different.

"Eiron" wrote in message


On 16/02/2011 14:00, Arny Krueger wrote:

When I was in Germany in 1970, a Revox rep said that
they were running (a little scared) from the Japanese.
They did a really good job of that for at least 10 years.

As teenagers we dreamed of the Revox A77
but the best any of my friends could afford was an Akai
4000DS

I was talking to the Revox rep because his tech was tuning up my A77. A77s
were sold in the armed forces audio clubs (available to all with a military
ID card, including those from the UK) for under $300. I sold my A77 in
1984 to pay off the CDP 101 that pretty well ended my involvement with
analog media.